PEOPLE in Bicester will be able to get their Covid vaccinations at a dedicated site at Bicester Heritage.

An agreement has been reached for the Bicester Covid-19 Vaccination Centre to operate from a building at the motor site off Skimmingdish Lane.

Patients from all three of the town's GP practices will be invited to receive their jabs there during the national vaccination programme that is underway and set to continue throughout the following months.

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A start date is yet to be confirmed, but the centre is expected to run two or three days a week and may need to extend to four days.

Injections will be carried out at the hub by nurses and clinicians from the Bicester surgeries – Alchester Medical Group, Bicester Health Centre and Montgomery-House Surgery.

Those who are at greater risk from Covid-19, such as people over 80, will be invited to get their jabs first.

People are asked to wait until they are contacted and should not call the NHS or their GP practice to book a vaccination appointment.

After receiving the first jab, patients will have to return for a booster injection 21 days later.

Chris A'Court, spokesperson for the Bicester GP practices, said: "The Bicester GP practices immediately began the search for suitable premises to carry out vaccinations when the success of the vaccine trials were announced. It was clear that given the huge scale of the task ahead, and with 50,000 patients registered with the Bicester practices, that a special dedicated vaccination site would work best for everyone.

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"We’d like to thank Bicester Heritage for their support in providing a building in order for us to undertake this vital service."

The vaccination hub is located in a specially adapted building within Bicester Heritage, which can be easily accessed by car and where there is free parking available.

The centre has the capacity for many people to receive their jabs at the same time and is well suited to meeting the various demands of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Bicester Heritage says it is delighted to be able to assist the national rollout of the vaccine.

Chief Executive Daniel Geoghegan said: “We would like to thank the Bicester Surgeries for approaching us to assist in this vital initiative, such rapid deployments are a significant challenge and we are pleased to support in providing an accessible and safe location.

“The Bicester Heritage team has much relevant experience of working partnership with fast-start social initiatives following the 'Salute the NHS' project to provide one million meals to NHS workers in 90 days during the first lockdown, and we look forward to assisting wherever possible."

NHS England has been struggling to work out the logistics of delivering the vaccine across the country because it needs to be stored at -70C before being thawed out, and can only be moved four times before being used.

With the vaccination programme gearing up in Bicester, GPs are calling on residents to volunteer at the centre at Bicester Heritage to help ensure the process runs smoothly.

They would undertake a range of duties, from assisting vulnerable residents to helping to manage the flow of patients into the hub and appropriate PPE will be provided.

Volunteers should be physically fit and well and not have any underlying medical conditions that would mean they are classed as vulnerable.

If you are interested, email practice manager Steve Sharpe at Montgomery-House Surgery to bicester.nhsvolunteers@nhs.net.